Seam for attaching buttons to shoes or other articles



(No Model.)

J J. SULLIVAN. SEAM FOR ATTAGHING BUTTONS T0 SHOES OR OTHER ARTICLES.

No. 595,744. Patented Dec. 21, 1897.

THE Ncnms PETERS co. PHUTOLITHQ. WASHINGTON. u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT. GFFICE.

JOHN J. SULLIVAN, OF IPSWICH, MASSACHUSETTS.

SEAM FOR ATTACHING BUTTONS T0 SHOES OR OTHER ARTICLES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 595,744, dated December 21, 1897. Application filed October 24:, 1894. Renewed May 22, 1897. Serial No. 637,799. (No model.)

To (tZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN J. SULLIVAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ipswich, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Seams forAttaching Buttons to Shoes or other Articles, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawlngs.

My invention relates to the art of attaching buttons to shoes or other articles, and has for its object to secure buttons to the articles to which they are to be attached in a strong and reliable manner and by a seam which will not rip and which at the same time will secure the buttons to the articles in a neater and more sightly manner than is done by the button-sewing machines now in use.

In carrying my invention into effect I secure the buttons to the article to which they are to be attached by a series of stitches passing through and outside of the eye of the shank of each button and through the material, these button-attaching stitches being a part of a continuous seam running from one button to the other, as many overseaming button-attaching stitches as may be necessary to securely fasten each button being made.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view showing a button boot or shoe with the buttons secured thereto in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is an e11- larged diagrammatic View illustrative of my invention.

A denotes the quarter or button piece of a shoe or boot to which the buttons a are secured by means of overseaming button-securing stitches b, as many of which as may be deemed necessary being employed to fasten each button, these button-attaching stitches being joined by connecting-stitches c, which form with the button-attachin g stitches a continuous seam in the material.

My invention is preferably carried into effect by means of a lock-stitch sewing-machine, so that each stitch will be securely locked, and thus there will be no danger of ripping; but it will be understood that my invention may also be carried into effect by a double-chain-stitch machine, if desired, which is also not liable to rip, or even by a single-chain-stitch sewingmachine, providing care is taken to fasten the thread at the last stitch of the seam. In thus practicing my invention I preferably employa machine in which the needle-bar is given a lateral movement to form overseam in g-stitches which will pass through and outside of the eye of the shank of each button, the buttons being held in proper position beneath the needle to permit of this part of the operation. When abutton has been secured to the material by a desired number of overseaming-stitches,the overseaming movement of the needle is automatically suspended and the work is automatically fed a proper distance to bring the same in position for the next button, the sewing operation being continued through this feeding of the. work, so that a seam is formed in the material from one button to the other. When the material has been fed far enough to bring the same in position for the next button, the feeding of the material is automatically suspended and at the same instant a button is presented to the needle, which now again commences its overseaming or lateral movements, so as to form the button-attaching stitches, this. operation being continued until the entire series of buttons have been sewed to the shoe-quarter or other article to which they are to be attached.

It will be observed that in carrying my invention into effect, by attaching the buttons to the articles to which they are to be affixed by means of overseaming-stitches which are joined together by connecting-stitches which form, with the overseaming-stitches, a continuous seam, this continuous seam serves in a measure to sew the shoe-lining to the leather, and thus, instead of being objectionable, these connecting-stitches serve a useful purpose in strengthening and improving the quality of the shoe to which the buttons are attached. Also, if desired to give an ornamental appearance, the connecting-stitches referred to may be formed in curves or'scallops or may be made as ornamental stitches of any desired character without departing from my invention. Furthermore, the stitches running between the button-attaching stitches serve to give a strong anchorage to the latter in the. work, and, moreover, by making a series of comparatively short stitches between the button-attaching stitches the objection incidental to the seams as at present linade in sewing buttons to shoes or similar articles in which the thread joining the button attaching stitches lies free upon the surface of the material is avoided.

In thus sewing the buttons to a shoe or other article by overseaming-stitches forming part of a continuous seam in the material it will be understood that it will be desirable to use a relatively fine thread, so that the seam between the buttons will not be unsightly, and for this reason quite a numbersay, from six to ten-overseaming button-attaching stitches will be necessary to securely hold the button to the material Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent JOHN J. SULLIVAN.

Witnesses:

HENRY CALVER, NATHAN H. ROBBINS. 

